1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product for retrieving information from a database. More specifically, the present invention relates to queries formed and transmitted to a wireless device supporting a phonebook.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wireless device makers have supported storing name and phone records to wireless devices in order to aid a user in recalling the telephone number associated with an associate's land-line phone, pager, and fax machine, among other devices. A mobile station phonebook is a set of one or more entries of name and phone records available on a mobile station. The entries may be stored to non-volatile memory such as, for example, flash memory. A mobile station may communicate with a cellular infrastructure or a Wi-Fi network, among others, to call associates listed in the mobile station phonebook. Wi-Fi is a term encompassing Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard, and related wireless standards.
Acquiring an entry can be time consuming. Users acquire such name/number associations by various ways. For example, initially, a user of a device, such as a mobile station, inquires to an associate asking what the associate's numbers are. A user is a person that owns or controls a device capable of storing a name and phone record. The user transcribes the number or numbers, and then adds the name of the associate. Sometimes, the user uses a 12-key alpha-numeric keypad to select letters of the associate's name. Accordingly, the entry of a typical person's first and last names, or business's name, as well as a single telephone number can require over 40 keystrokes, if the user enters such characters correctly.
Accordingly, it may be beneficial to request a name and phone record by transmitting a name or even part of a name to an associate that has a complete name and phone record. Moreover, it may be beneficial to receive the name and phone record without too much trouble from the associate.